


To craft a dream

by Mysterybox_Studios



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Cirque du soleil but you can read it now!, Multi, Wholesome, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29817153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysterybox_Studios/pseuds/Mysterybox_Studios
Summary: The circus, a world of imagination and creativity, where both forces are brought together to create wonderous shows and spectacular spectacles. But not all is well, for once Ozpin and Salem part ways, the circus isn't as grand as it once was, and it's running into the risk of bankrupcy! But with the new addition of a special red-hooded acrobat, could the dreams of all those performers be saved, or will everyone be force to witness the famous Ozpin and Salem circus close its curtains for the final time?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Adam Taurus, Cinder Fall/Taiyang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Weiss Schnee, Neptune Vasilias/Sun Wukong, Ozpin/Salem (RWBY), Ruby Rose/Roman Torchwick
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	1. Welcome to the circus!

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! For those who know of my previous work 'RWBY: Shadows over Remnant', don't worry. I will be returning to that series, but due to school, stress (Don't worry, nothing serious, just feel a bit off-balance, I'm doing fine.) and the need to find some new inspiration as to continue the story, this will be used as a side project while i try and get myself situated with that story. This will be a more wholesome take compared to the violent and bizarre story narrative of the first story, but i hope you might find enjoyment in this story as well.  
> Onto the main topic at hand, however, I got the inspiration for this story after watching some cirque du soleil and seeing the acrobatic fighting styles of some of the characters, mainly Neo. I wanted to see if i could capture the same magic of the circus and incorporate the characters of RWBY and create something interesting. Like all things made by the Mysterybox studio, i very much hope you enjoy the story, and like all performances held by the famous Ozpin and Salem circus, please do enjoy the show!

_Life is a circus ring, with some moments more spectacular than others._

_~ Janusz Korczak, Polish educator._

/////

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls!" The ringleader shouted, the spotlight centered on him alone. "What an amazing performance, am I right?! But you may think you've seen everything, but you have yet to see the final act of our show!"

"Ozpin." A young woman beckoned, and the eyes of the audience shot and centered themselves on a young woman in white, staring down from an elevated platform at the equally young ringleader. 

"Am I forgetting something again Salem?" Ozpin asked. 

"Oh, no, not at all. Just wanted to mess with you. Please, do continue!" some giggles from the audience came, and Ozpin wiped a small bead of nervous sweat off his forehead. 

"R-right! Ladies, gentlemen, mini-ladies, mini-gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the ever amazing duo, the tightrope-walking faunus themselves, Blake Belladonna and Adam Taurus!" A huge round of applause and cheers rang throughout the circus tent as the two faunus emerged from the back of the circus tent, smiling as they both eyed the tightrope. It was very high up, with a safety mat placed at the bottom and a long ladder on both ends leading up to the rope. They both looked at one another and smiled, then they both went to opposite sides of the rope, climbing the ladder to the tippy-top. Blake eyed Adam, and Adam did the same and, with a nod, Blake began her quick walk across, stopping halfway across. She extended her hand out, and Adam walked towards her, grabbing her hand. Blake smiled, then let go of Adam's hand and walked backwards, staring him down once more as Adam kneeled down and bowed his head. 

Ruby sat in her seat, covered in popcorn as Tai held onto her soda. Ruby was afraid that she might accidentally squeeze the soda too tightly during a very spectacular part of the show, so she decided to hold onto the popcorn instead, and she was right, as she squeezed the popcorn bag many times, almost ripping it to shreds at her excitement. She had been to the circus many times, more than she could count, and yet somehow, even at the big girl age of 6, she was still amazed at the tricks and performances the circus brought with it. But even with the amazing tricks, some parts always confused her. "Dad? Why is he kneeling?"

Tai leaned in towards Ruby. "Watch, and you'll find out." 

Blake took a deep breath, running towards Adam and jumping over him, landing on the other side like it was nothing, and a huge applause from the audience erupted, especially from Ruby. 

"That was amazing!" Ruby exclaimed. 

Yang, sitting on the opposite side of Tai, giggled to herself. "Show's not over yet!"

Adam stood up and the show continued. Adam would do what Blake did, and sometimes try to one-up her. She would do a cartwheel on the rope, he would do a back-cart. She would handstand on the rope, he would do it with only one hand. This went on until Adam gave a special hand signal, and Blake was caught a bit off guard. "You sure?"

Adam nodded. Blake then faced him and knelt down. 

Tai was a bit confused. "Didn't they already do this trick?"

Yang was curious. "It's Adam Dad! He's probably got something awesome to add onto Blake's trick from before!"

Ruby was super excited, clenching onto her bag of popcorn tightly. Her big sis was most certainly right, but what could Adam possibly do to beat Blake's jump? 

Adam took a deep breath and readied himself, drum rolls beginning to play as Adam began his run towards Blake. He jumped, but everyone held onto their breaths. It wasn't just a jump...

"A FLIP!?" Tai was shocked, and so was everyone else. 

No one was prepared for a flip, but no one else was prepared for Adam losing his balance. He fell off the rope, the audience gasping as they expected to see Adam at the bottom. But he caught the rope and pulled himself up. He walked towards one of the ends of the tightrope to catch his breath, and Blake quickly joined him.

Adam looked towards Blake. "I missed."

"Holy...Adam, you...crazy lunatic!"

"I want to try again."

"Of course you do...Are you ok though?"

"Yeah."

"Then..." Blake turned towards the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen! May he try again?!" The audience roared with excitement and approval. "Ready?"

Adam nodded, and Blake went back to the middle of the rope, kneeling as Adam prepared himself. The air was tense, the crowd in anticipation, and Adam loved both. He began his run across the rope, it was now or never, he jumped, doing his flip in the air, the audience's breath taken away, some even looking away in fear of an even worse failure, until...

"HE DID IT!!" Yang yelled as Adam landed safely on the rope, and the audience went wild, applause and cheers erupted as Adam raced along with Blake to the other side as they slid down the ladder to the safety of the ground below and they both took a bow. Soon, a few more performers came out and bowed alongside them.

Ozpin and Salem then came down and bowed along with the rest of the performers and smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for coming out to watch our show!" Ozpin shouted through the cheering.

Salem smiled. "Please have a safe trip home and remember that all dreams come true when you put the effort into them, like our performers here. So don't forget to..."

Ozpin smiled. "WORK HARD!"

"AND DREAM HARDER!!" Everyone shouted. Confetti filled the stage and the audience continued to applaud. 

Blake looked towards Adam. "You crazy lunatic...You actually did it."

Adam scoffed. "Of course I did! I'm not letting four weeks of practice go to waste!" Blake couldn't help but laugh, and Adam couldn't help but smile. 

/////

Tai was exhausted, not from the Ruby he was carrying, and certainly not from holding the hand of an equally tired Yang, but it always surprised him that when he got home, especially from the circus of all places, he would always want to go to bed, it just seemed customary to go to sleep after an exciting night at the circus. His yawn was contagious, as both Yang and the extremely sleepy Ruby yawned as well as they were barely able to get through the front door. Tai was welcomed back by a very energetic Zwei, as he continued to run around his leg until Yang picked him up and hugged him. She set him down, and he was as calm as could be, following them quietly close behind. Tai quickly got to Ruby's room, adorned with small toys, paper mache flowers scattered all over her table, and a bed with a small Roman Torchwick doll resting on one of the pillows. Roman, the famous pyro-performer alongside Cinder, was one of Ruby's many favorite acts, and she was lucky enough to save up her allowance just to try the bottle-tower game that had the Roman doll. So many tries, so many losses, but she never gave up, and one day her dream came true. One lucky toss, one determined throw, and all six bottles toppled over, and Ruby was never happier in her life. She had lost a grand total of 43$ in attempts to get the doll, but it was worth every dollar. It was even worth the embarrassment she encountered when she was showing it off to everyone, even unintentionally to Roman himself. He let out a laugh, and despite her embarrassment, she still has the photo she took with him hanging on her wall. But now wasn't the time to reminisce about the past, it was time to sleep. Tai carefully placed Ruby down onto the bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "G'night sleepyhead."

"Mmph." Ruby weakly responded, and Tai went to tuck everyone else to sleep. Ruby weakly opened her eyes and barely noticed a shooting star outside her window. She turned in her bed to get a better view and placed her hand together, remembering the old saying from the circus. 

_Work hard...Dream harder..._

"Ssss...Starlight...Star-bright...The first star I see tonight...I wish I may...I wish I might...have this wish...I wish...tonight..." She could barely get her wish out, which was just a mumble of whispers not even she could make out, but she hoped that the star heard correctly, she didn't have the strength to speak up. She then grabbed her Roman doll and held onto it tightly, before passing out and falling asleep. 


	2. A dream come true

_-Tonight's story; One of sadness and tragedy. Ozpin and Salem, founders of the Ozpin and Salem circus, have now parted ways._

_-According to a recent interview conducted with Ms. Salem, the partner-ship will come to an end as they both cannot work under their "Current conditions"._

_-It's just weird dude. Now of all times they're splitting up? Something's fishy, and yet it's really hard to prove anything! Pointing the finger at someone isn't going to solve the issue, so what will?_

_-Mr. Ozpin has confirmed that Salem will be starting her own circus dubbed "The Salem circus of the bold" while Ozpin shall be renaming his as "The Ozpin circus of wonder"._

_-Thank you for the 5$ donation from SCPeter445 saying "Thoughts on the splitting of the Ozpin and Salem circus?". Yeah, it's sad honestly. I loved going to that circus, that was my favorite place to go as a kid, but at least it'll still technically be around since they're both making their own circus. So it's not like it's going away forever, it's just a bit...smaller, heh. Once again, thank you for both the donation and the question, that was really good._

_-We just got reports of a video being posted on the Ozpin and Salem circus social media page, which has been confirmed to not be taken down for those who'd like to reminisce about the past, of both of them reassuring those fellow dreamers and future artists who wish to one day join the circus or create something of their own. Truly, a heartwarming final goodbye from the famous Ozpin and Salem circus if I do say so myself._

_-"We just wanted to tell all of you that we are doing fine. But some things just don't seem to work out. Yes, it's messy. Some fights occur, disagreement runs rampant, and in the end no one leaves happy. But rest assured, we are fine."_

_-"Indeed. The circus may seem a bit smaller, and we will both be looking to hire to expand our entourage of performers for our new circuses, but I promise that it will be the same circus you all know and love."_

_-"So, when the smoke finally clears, and we open our circus tent's doors once more, don't be afraid to grab some popcorn, a drink, and gather your friends and family to experience a show unlike anything you've ever seen. We'll be happily waiting for your arrival. We both will."_

_-"And don't forget. Dreams are made when hard work and dedication are put to the stress test, so please remember to work hard..."_

_-"And dream harder!"_

_-"From all of us at the Ozpin and Salem circus, thank you for all your support."_

_/////_

_12 years later..._

"RUBY! Come on, we're going to be late!" Yang shouted from downstairs.

"Coming!" Ruby shouted back. She wasn't one to worry about how her hair looked in the mirror, but now was much different, this was a time where taking 20 minutes in front of the mirror to make sure 'dress-to-impress' was mandatory. Today was the day she was waiting for her whole life, the day she would put her skills to the test and prove herself worthy of being a performer at the Ozpin circus of wonder. Today was that day, try-out day. Ruby was finally done and quickly ran into her room to grab her stuff. Bag, gymnastic clothes, scroll, paperwork, snacks and a drink. "That should be everything." Ruby then sat on her bed as she hugged the Roman doll. This was the day where she gets to hang out with the stars, the best of the best, and she had to prove herself. There will be many people out to compete for her spot, and she knew she must do everything in her power to protect and fight for it. It was her dream, and no one was going to ruin it. She placed the doll down and began to walk out of the room, turning back and facing the empty space that she had once occupied. She smiled, remembering the time she asked her father for a dangling hoop from the ceiling so she could practice. Her father refused, it would barely fit and even if it did, it wouldn't dangle too far off the ground and he was afraid that it might one day collapse the ceiling. Ruby understood, so instead she opted for Gymnastic training. Despite no dangling hoop from the ceiling, it was fun, and she aced her classes and did everything she could to make her dream a reality. It was so much fun and entertaining, even Yang joined in the fun, although she didn't think of joining the circus. Until now, when she found her dream of doing something dangerous, that being a balancing act of some-kind after her enjoyment on the balance beam one day. Despite her father's constant fear that she may fall (Which entertained her a lot, that was the whole point of the act.), She was determined to perfect her skill and rise above the rest and be the balancing Yang-dinni...Or Yang-Bang...Yang-a-lang? She still needed to work on her new title...BADLY. But nonetheless, this day had to be perfect, and Ruby knew that better than anyone else on the planet. There was no room for error, this was her moment, her time to shine brighter than the competition, and nothing will-

"RUBY!!"

"Oh! Shoot! Coming!" 

/////

The lines were unbearably long and terrifying to Ruby and Yang. They knew they were going up against competition, but not on this type of scale. So many people, so little spots to fill, and yet it was barely morning, so the circus had literally all day, and that made Yang groan in despair. Out of all people to stand in line to deal with paperwork, of course it had to be them and not their father, who seemed to be having way too much fun with playing games, hanging out with the performers, boasting about how his daughters are trying out, and just genuinely having a good time. Ruby sighed. She had made conversation with everyone in the line so far, and it wasn't getting any better. That guy is joining because why not. That dude's joining because he had a friend who loved the circus and he wanted to be part of the act. That girl's doing it for the fun of it. That boy's doing it because of family tradition. Weiss just finished her paperwork and is leaving to grab a drink and-WAIT A MOMENT!

"WEISS?!" Ruby shouted, catching both Yang and Weiss off guard.

"Ruby? What are you doing...Oh. You're in line. Dumb question, you're here for try-outs, duh."

"Yes I am!"

Yang quickly interjected. "Uhh, Ruby? Who is she?"

"Oh! Weiss, meet Yang. Yang, Weiss. She's a friend from high school! But be careful, she's very uptight."

"Wait, Weiss? Like Weiss Schnee? THE Weiss Schnee?!"

Weiss couldn't help but smile. "You know of the Schnee corporation?"

"Well, everyone knows it, of course! It's just..."

"I'm here at the circus trying out rather than being at some uptight dinner party my father made for the 700th time this year, am I correct?"

"Ummm...yes?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You have your paperwork Ms. Rose?"

"All right here! Good luck on getting your part!"

"HA! Luck? Please, surely you know better than that Ruby Rose. I don't need luck, but I can guarantee that you'll need sunglasses, or else you'll go blind when you stare at my undisputable radiance!"

"So what part you going for?" 

Weiss cleared her throat. "Slacklining or wiring. Whichever's available."

"Cool!"

"Cool indeed." With a nod and a confident smirk and walk, Weiss left to get her drink. 

Yang was all kinds of confused. "She seems confident in herself...Too confident I would say, and why is a Schnee here in try-outs? What exactly did she mean by that?"

Ruby looked around, then leaned in close to Yang. "It's a secret, so try to keep it locked tightly away, ok? The last thing she needs is her father finding out." Yang nodded. "She doesn't like her father very much, he wants her to run the business, since her sister left for military, her brother is too young and immature to take up the business, and he's close on his deathbed. But he's not the kindest father in the world, as she has told me and vented many a time during our years in high school, so I assume she abandoned him and ran to join the circus." 

"Yikes, sounds to me like an awful thing to do. Just up and left her old man just because he couldn't get his act together? He probably wasn't that bad."

"We don't know, but I guess it's not smart to assume."

"True. Either that or she was really into slacklining and slack wiring." Yang smiled and Ruby giggled, and soon they reached the end of the line and handed their paperwork to the young lady on the other side of the table. She approved both of them and told them where to find their changing rooms and where they could stretch as they waited for their try-out manager. After changing into their gymnastic clothes, Ruby and Yang began their stretches, and soon Weiss returned with a water bottle in hand and joining them for stretching. But Weiss didn't get far into her stretches, as she didn't expect a blond clutz to run right into her and cause her to fall to the floor. 

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Lemme help you up!" 

Another person walked behind the blonde man and shook his head disappointingly. "I said to stretch your legs. I didn't say to try and do overly-complex leg stretches to the point you look like you're having a bodily-defect."

"I'm very, very sorry! Are you ok?"

Weiss dusted herself off. "Aside from the pain in my cheek and back from yours and the floor's collision with me, yes. I'm perfectly fine."

"Seriously, I’m very sorry. Let's try getting off on a much better foot. My name is Jaune Arc, what's yours?"

"Weiss Schnee."

"Oh..." Jaune shivered as he shook Weiss' hand, or much worse a Schnee's hand, whom he just knocked to the ground like a filthy commoner, or whatever they call those types of people. Out of all days, why did today have to happen?

"It's fine, you didn't mean it. Unless your mentor here says otherwise."

Jaune turned with fear in his eyes and sweat dripping down his forehead. He didn't need to ask his mentor anything, his scared demeanor said it all. The mentor sighed. "No, no he didn't mean it. Name's Lie Ren by the way. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"A person with manners for a change. Pleasure's all mine." Weiss shook his hand.

Yang cringed. "We're at a circus folks, not a fancy-mancy tea party. Name's Yang, that one's Ruby."

"Hi." Ruby greeted innocently.

Ren looked down and couldn't help but crack a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry, it's just how I was raised. You'd have to forgive my friend, we've been friends for a while, and unfortunately, he's always been a bit of a clutz."

"It's not that bad!" Ren looked at Jaune with a cocked eyebrow. "Ok so it's...kind of bad, but that's not the point! I'm working on it, and once I make this gig the audience will cheer for me and no more will I be humiliated by those people on the playground."

"You mean the middle schoolers?"

"You'd be shocked at their expansive vocabulary. They can hurt you in ways you didn't even think possible!" 

"Knowing you, somehow I find that both an impossibility and yet a very practical possibility."

Everyone laughed for a moment. Ruby then continued stretching. "Care to join us stretching? It'll be a few before we actually begin, and we could get to know each other better."

Ren looked towards Jaune. "I'll go get the others if that's ok with you and them."

Weiss was taken aback. "The others?"

Jaune nodded. "There's four of us. A group of baddies taking on the world, or more specifically, the circus world together."

"We hang out on Sundays and play video games, eat pizza, and vibe."

"Well...You didn't have to put it that way."

"I'm going to go get them now, be right back." Ren left Jaune all by himself with the girls, as they all looked at him. 

"So..." Weiss began. "What act are you trying to get into?"

"I was hoping something with swords. My mother kept training me with them for a while, and although she had hoped I would go into the military, the circus was nice too, at least in her eyes. My father wasn't the most supportive, but he knew he couldn't choose my path, but hey, at least he didn't anything drastic."

"Sword acts...Like sword swallowing?" Asked Ruby.

"Nah, I was more so thinking something like sword juggling, or balancing swords on myself, or maybe dagger throwing, something like that sounds cool."

"If you can throw it correctly without it hurting someone." A young woman's voice joked behind Jaune. 

Jaune smiled. "Girls, this is Nora, and the one in red is Pyrrha."

"Hello!" Pyrrha greeted herself as she began shaking everyone's hand. 

"What's up?" Nora greeted, doing the same as Pyrrha. 

"It's nice to meet you and your group." Ruby responded.

"Of course." Pyrrha responded. "So...umm...What are your trying-out for?"

"Slack wiring and/or slacklining." Weiss answered. 

"Something balancing." Said Yang.

"Aerial hoops." Ruby responded.

"Well those sounds fun!" Pyrrha happily responded. 

"And what about you three? What are you trying-out for?" Asked Yang.

"Trapeze." Ren answered.

"Strongwoman." Said Nora.

"Dagger throwing." Pyrrha responded. 

Ruby smiled. "Such variety!"

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, but even still, we've been using the past few months of meet-ups just to hone our skills over at the local gymnastics center, and I'll be honest, I'm not the most confident in myself."

Pyrrha patted Jaune on the back. "We'll do fine! Just remember what we practiced for!" 

Ren nodded. "Don't let today's pressure make you cower in fear. Stay focused and make the thought of failure an impossibility in your mind."

Jaune was wide-eyed. "Wow Ren, that was actually moving."

"Just something my dad once told me; he always loved his proverbs."

"Well, alright! With your father's proverbs and my newfound confidence, I'm gonna-"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" 

"EEK!" Jaune toppled over and fell on his back, causing the group to laugh, even Jaune couldn't help himself. 

The try-out manager readied her whistle and gave it a blow, causing the whole room to look at her. "That's better. We are going to begin the try-outs in five minutes. Any last minute business of any kind should be finished now. Once again, try-outs begin in five minutes!" 

Weiss looked back at her group. "Are we all ready?"

Ruby nodded. "As ready as I can ever be."   
/////  
"The first few tests are just to test endurance. Please line up to the bars in front of me and wait for your instructors. They will time you for how long you can stay on the bar. There is no true 'passing time', but the recommended amount is at the very least a minute. Any longer will score you higher in the eyes of the circus, so please, do show off."

A few giggles from the group of try-outs, and the tests began. One by one, in three lines, try-out after try-out went up to the bar and held on for dear life as the instructors continued to time each and everyone. Ruby was impressed at her time of a minute 30, Weiss barely made it with a minute and five, Yang and Nora tied for two minutes, Jaune also barely making it with a minute and one, Ren with a minute 20, and Pyrrha with a minute 25. 

"Next are running times. You will be running around the circus a lot, so we just need to make sure you can handle it." The try-out manager lead the whole group outside, showing the group the running track they'll be using. "simply four laps around the circus. Once again, no 'passing time', but I recommend you complete it in no more than ten minutes. Places everyone."

Everyone got into position, and the running began. The try-outs had barely begun, and yet it was much more straining than anyone actually thought they would be, despite doing the research and understanding what you will be tested on. Ruby finished and was completely out of breath with a time of seven minutes and 32 seconds. Yang was pumped after beating Nora with her time of six minutes and 42 seconds compared to Nora's time of 6 minutes and 47 seconds. Ren finished with seven minutes and 45 seconds, and Jaune behind with eight minutes and 24 seconds. Weiss was beyond tired after that with eight minutes and 42 seconds. Pyrrha finished with her time of seven minutes exact. 

"Catch your breath people. Our next try-out will begin in about five minutes." 

Tai would've come over and give motivational support, but he was told to refrain from interacting from the try-outs due to potential cheating reasons. But if Ruby could get even a simple "Yeah Ruby!" She would feel much better. But nope, she felt tired, her head spun, and she could barely get her water bottle and chug it. "Holy cow...That...was intense..."

Weiss controlled her breathing. "I may...or may not...be slightly regretting this decision to try-out...Oh my gosh that was...ugh..." 

Yang couldn't help but laugh, despite feeling like trash after that. "How much more do we have to do?"

Jaune was surprised at the question. "How much more?! This is barely the second test!"

Ren controlled his breathing as well. He cleared his throat. "About two more tests, then should come the interview."

Pyrrha gave a very tired and weak thumbs up. "Awesome! Then we're almost halfway there!"

After a while, the next try-out test began. "This is very simple, a stretch test, measuring how far you can stretch. I'm sure many have seen this from your high school years?" The manager pointed at the wall, which was lined with three blocks with a ruler on the side, to which many try-outs nodded. "For those who haven't, this is called a sit and reach. you're just going to place your feet at the end of the block and stretch as far out as you can, then we'll measure how far you could go. We're looking for potential flexibility here, so really give it the best you got. Please begin lining up and wait for your instructors to tell you to begin. They'll only ask you for your age to understand the average of how far you should be able to stretch, so the only passing point on this is your average stretch based on age." Everyone lined up and began their test. Stretching was easy, everyone literally just did that no more than a few moments ago, but not many were prepared for this type of stretching, where distance mattered more than comfort and feeling refreshed. Many silent groans and grunts as the try-out tried their very best to stretch out as far as possible. Ruby was happy to learn that she was able to hit the 22 mark, an above average for her age, and Yang was equally as happy when she hit the same mark. Jaune was relieved to hear that he made the mark with his stretch of 20, slightly above average for his age. Ren was glad to hear of his mark of 23, as well as Pyrrha. Finally, Nora and Weiss tied for their marks of 20. 

"Alright, the final test. We're going to mush together the interview and this test together, so please meet up with the people at the tables and collect you interviewer and time of interview. On that page you should be able to get their name, their circus tent number, and the time of the interview. DO NOT BE LATE! Trust me, we have had this issue in the past because people couldn't keep track of time well, I’m not sure how, but they have lost track of time. Seriously, don't be late to your interview. Once you get the interview started, you will be asked personal questions such as reasons for joining, previous experience, personal acts you are interested in, and you will give a live demonstration of your act, and trust us when we say this: No matter how ridiculous it is, we will have you do it. Knife throwing, flame swallowing, a three man trapeze act, if you say you can do it, you better be able to back it up well, and you better impress, and yes, we have had situations where the unfortunate fact of 'I was only exaggerating' has happened before. It's never fun for either side. Everyone understand what they're doing? Good. Let's get to work!"

Rows upon rows of people began to line themselves to collect their interviewer and circus tent number. The times, surprisingly, were very wide between one another, and the number of circus tents were many. Ruby looked at her paper and smiled. "Ok, circus tent three, interviewer..." Ruby's smile drooped in fear. 

Yang almost balled out in laughter at the sudden change in her sister's tone. "I got tent five, interviewer Oobleck. I got a dude with a weird name, what exactly did you-" Yang saw the name. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Roman freakin' Torchwick. How lucky you must be!"

"Lucky?! I have to impress Roman Torchwick, THE Roman Torchwick! How exactly am I supposed to act around him?!"

"Like you would with anyone else?"

"What if I say something I don't mean?! Like how I had a crush on him at age 11, AT 11 YANG! He was 20 years old at that time, he would know I had a crush on a 20 year old as an 11 year old!! Or worse, maybe I’ll faint halfway throughout the interview? What if he asks me to do some crazy move on the hoop that I never even knew existed and I fail?! What if he asks me for my credit card information, is he legally allowed to do that? Am I legally obligated to give it to him?!?!"

"RUBY! It's going to be fine! You'll do fine! Look, your interview is in two hours from now, how about you go take a stroll somewhere and clear your head? I think you just need to relax just a little, all this stress is going to one day make you pop like a balloon. Go grab some soda or something, just relax, take a power nap. Mentally prepare yourself for this. You got this; you just need to loosen up."

"Y-yeah. I guess you're right." Ruby thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. Alright, yeah, I will go out for a walk, I think I deserve one. You're right sis, I’m going out! For a walk! I'm going to grab some milk, a bucket of strawberries, and I’m going to go and take a nap! And a walk! Today, I’m treating myself right!" 

"That's what I like to hear!" With a fist bump, Yang left for her interview, while Ruby was left to wander the circus to go take a nap. She was almost out of the circus when something caught her eye. Someone in pink, and brown, and white staring at one of the carnival games. 

"Strange." Ruby thought. "I don't recognize her as one of the performers. Must be a new one." Ruby snuck around to see what game the multi-colored performer was looking at. The bottle tower game, and the performer was actually staring at the Roman Torchwick doll. Ruby stayed to watch as the performer took out some money and tried her hand at the game. A toss of the ball, and only three of the bottles fell. A second chance, but only two this time. A final chance, and with a hard toss...all but two fell. The performer turned away sadly, noticing Ruby staring at her. Ruby was embarrassed. "Oh, hello! I-erm, well you see, I was just watching you, uhh, play the game!" 

The performer smiled, then walked towards Ruby and shook her hand. Ruby was taken aback. "Uh...Are you a performer here? I honestly don't recognize you from here."

The performer giggled, then pulled out her wallet. She took out a small card and handed it to Ruby, which read. "Hello. My name is 'Neopolitan'. Please be understanding with me, I am mute." 

Ruby examined the card and was taken aback. "Oh! I see. Pleasure to meet you Neopolitan." 

Neopolitan then took the card and flipped it over. On the back was some writing that read. "Please, call me Neo."

Ruby was surprised. "Oh, you get this question a lot?"

Neo flipped the card over. "Yes." Was written on the blank front of the card.

Ruby nodded, then realized what happened. "W-wait! What?! But the card..." Ruby examined the card over and over again, wondering what just occurred. "How did you...?"

Neo giggled. Then she flipped the card over once more. "A magician never reveals their secrets."

Ruby was still amazed. But there was a question that still hovered in her mind. "Oh, right! You were trying to get that doll, right? The Roman Torchwick one?" Neo nodded. "Do you mind if I get it for you?" Neo was surprised at her hospitality but confused. She pointed at the doll and placed a finger underneath her chin, in a sort of 'How do you plan to do it?' gesture. "Oh! Right, it's actually something I researched. The first time I did it was by pure luck, but there's a trick to it." Ruby walked up to the game.

"Hello young lady! Care for a round?"

"Yes please." Ruby placed her money on the table and the woman behind the counter gave her three balls. 

"Knock all three bottles down and you get the prize, Capeesh?"

"Capeesh." Ruby responded. She took one ball and aimed for the bottles. "The secret is tossing it at the middle bottle at the bottom. Everything is weighted, so all you have to do is..." Ruby tossed the ball, knocking the middle bottle down, causing the whole tower to collapse. 

"Well, would you look at that!" The vendor looked with much interest. "Where'd you learn such a trick?"

"Learned from the best." Ruby said.

The vendor was curious, then the hair, the gleam in her eye, it suddenly looked familiar. "Ruby! I didn't recognize you!"

"And good to see you again May! How's business?"

"Meh, slow and steady today, what with the try-outs and all. Wait, you're trying out!?"

"Heckles yeah I am!"

"That's awesome! I hope you get in! Oh! Before I forget, your prize!"

"Hey Neo! Which one did you want?" Neo pointed at the Roman doll, and May got it down and handed it to her. Neo was super happy and shook Ruby's hand rapidly and fiercely. She then left Ruby with her phone number on the same card her magic tricks were done on and left. 

May looked on at the multicolored girl. "She's...Interesting."

"She's mute."

"Ah." May understood. 

"She seems to be a magic performer too. But how she did those magic tricks on this card beats me! Like how did she-" Ruby flipped the card over, and sure enough, there was another note on the back.

"I'm not telling you my secret; I’m writing it to you. Squeeze the sides."

"Huh?" Ruby squeezed the sides, and the card opened. Inside were all the other messages that were on the card that seemed to flip over and replaced the front and back of the card, but it was super compressed into itself that the thickness was barely noticable. "Huh, so she does get those questions a lot."

"So, what exactly are you doing here of all places?"

"Oh, just waiting for interviews."

"Ah, when's yours?"

"In two hours."

"Yikes. That's a long time. Hey! I know this great place over on Windsfort Avenue! It serves the best Boba tea you ever tasted! You have to go and try it! It's called Bubbly Boba, or B.B for short, it's the pink shop on the left when you enter from this way." May pointed in the direction of the shop. "It's super good!"

"Sounds like fun. I'll go and check it out. Thanks!"

"No problem!" And with a wave, Ruby left to fetch herself some tea and to wait a very tense, yet very long two hours. 

/////

Thankfully, the two hours went by swiftly, and Ruby was able to get to where she needed to be on time, and standing outside of the tent, it gave her the jitters, even after enjoying the boba tea. This is it, no turning back now. She knew she had to go and see him, and there was no avoiding it. The time to prove herself was now. She opened the curtains into the tent to find so much space inside the tent, mainly used for demonstrations. The air felt tense, and those jitters amplified. Ruby honestly couldn't believe what she was doing, this felt like a dream, a nonexistent reality, a false sense of realism, to the point she expected to wake up at some point and she'd still be that same six year old that kept dreaming for a chance to prove herself. If she could give her young self any advice, she would probably tell herself something along the lines of "Don't stop dreaming. You're almost there." 

"Ruby?" A young voice called out. Ruby turned to find Roman waiting for her, standing behind his chair. 

"You remember me?"

"And forget my biggest fan? Not a chance!" Roman smiled confidently, and Ruby felt a little more at ease with herself, even honored to be remembered by Roman. "So, care to get this interview started?"

"YES! I mean, ahem, yes." Ruby worked out her inner jitters and the interview began.

"Don't worry. There aren't any truly right answers. Just some personal questions. Let's start off simple: Why do you want to join the circus?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "It's been my most favorite place to be, I would try my best to mimic the different tricks I would see on stage and even keep up with all the latest news about the circus. New show times, what's going on with the performers as they would post on their different social media platforms, different stunts that would be performed. But what I loved most of all about the circus was how it felt like a secondary home to me. Whenever I would have a bad day, whenever I felt like the scum of the earth, all I had to do was go to the circus, eat some popcorn, drink some soda, watch the shows, play the games, do all of that and I would feel at home again. I would feel happy, safe even. It would make me feel whole again, and I wanted to join it, be part of what always brought me joy, be something amazing, watch as I do tricks and amaze the crowd as they applaud at the end and I would look from where I am, I would look from the stage and then I would know that I was right where I was meant to be, I’m right at home. I would be truly happy." Ruby cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry, that was extremely long winded wasn't it?"

"Not at all actually, that was very touching. Next question: If you are to get into the circus, would you be perfectly ok traveling, leaving family and friends behind?"

"Y-yeah. It might sting, but this is a dream I’ve been working on for too long. I know my dad would understand..."

"Sorry. That one usually breaks people very easily. Not many people take that into consideration, the idea of leaving everything behind. Doesn't hit you until either someone straight up tells you, or it finally happens and it's too late to turn back."

"It's fine...I'm fine." Ruby took a deep breath. She smiled and nodded, and Roman continued.

"Final question: What act were you planning to perform in our circus troop?"

"Aerial hoops."

Roman was surprised. "That's a new one. Everyone either kept saying acrobatics with no specifics or juggling, as if those are the only two things a circus has."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But aerial hoops...care to demonstrate?"

"Of course." After applying chalk and a few stretches, Roman guided Ruby to the aerial hoop, which was already hanging a few inches off the ground and ready to go. 

"Whenever you're ready, I'll lift you up."

"Thanks." A few deep breaths. This was it, make or break moment, no turning back now. "I'm ready." Roman pulled on a pulley system as Ruby was lifted high up into the air, and once she was high enough, Roman fetched a mat to protect Ruby if she were to fall. 

"Ok, impress me."

"Will do..." Ruby mentally prepared, then began her performance. Leaning back and hanging onto the hoop with only her leg, sliding down until her hooking-leg was the only thing keeping her on the hoop, lifting herself back up and then standing on the hoop. Trick after trick she knew she did with precision and accuracy Roman was quite familiar with his colleagues. Ruby continued, stretching until only a small part of her held onto the hoop, even spinning the hoop and dangling from the bottom, spinning rapidly and smoothly lifting herself back up. Then she got an idea, a trick she held up her sleeve that she never thought she could pull off. "How strong is the rope holding onto this hoop?"

Roman's eyes went wide and a smile was strewn across his face. "Very strong."

"Good." Ruby then began swinging the hoop, Roman watching with awe and anticipation. Ruby then readied herself, grabbing the bottom of the hoop. Once she was ready, once the hoop was in full swing, she descended, swinging with the hoop, then looping herself back through the hoop and going for another swing, like swinging on a bar only that the bar was swinging with you and there was a hole you had to swing into and if anything went wrong you could...well...

Roman continued to stare in amazement, watching his biggest fan swinging into and out of the hoop as it continued to swing until Ruby finally landed back inside the hoop, then immediately, using enough force, made the ring begin spinning, standing up and hanging on with one hand and one leg. She was standing confidently on her ring of chaotic energy, spinning and swinging at the same time, all while Roman was watching her, and when she felt like she made her point, with enough force, she stopped the ring from spinning, and she slowly stopped the hoop from swinging. She looked at Roman, looking for an answer, but only found him with his mouth agape and his eyes fixated onto her. He quickly shook his head and collected himself, quickly lowering Ruby safely back onto the ground. "Well?" Ruby asked politely. "Was that good?" 

"That was AMAZING!! You're a natural kid! A real super star destined to be on the stage! You're a showstopper, the best this circus would have to offer, you're..." Roman cleared his throat. "Sorry, I really shouldn't say that to try-outs, I honestly should be neutral. Ahem, thank you for trying out. We'll get back to you hopefully no later than the end of today."

Ruby smiled, even blushed. She was as red as a tomato, and she couldn't tell if it was from Roman's compliment or the amount of blood flow from the hoop tricks she did. "Th-thank you so much..."

"You're welcome, heh." Roman then walked back towards his table and jotted a few notes down as Ruby prepared to leave. "I'll try and put a good word for you. Oh, one last question, if you don't mind?"

"Uhh, sure!"

"Did you by any chance run into a girl named Neopolitan?"

Ruby's red face suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a face with genuine fear. "Y-yes?"

"And what did you do with her? What did she say to you?"

"N-nothing! She gave me this card and I played the milk bottle game and I got her a doll and-"

"You gave her the Roman doll?"

"Yes, and...wait, how did you know it was a Roman doll?"

"She's...my best friend."

Ruby's face was blank. "Ah...That makes sense."

"She always loves messing around with people, but she works at the Salem circus. However, she usually comes and hangs out with me since we're the best of besties." Roman finished his sentence with a sense of confidence and boast. 

"That's cute..."

Roman cleared his throat. "Ahem, right. Well, unless you have any questions for me, then this interview is officially over. Thank you for trying out."

"Yep, got no questions whatsoever. So uhh...Guess I’ll go and wait to hear back!"

"Sounds good to me."

"Cool." Ruby collected her stuff and gave one final look towards Roman. They shared eye contact with one another, it felt strange, but..."Goodbye."

"Umm...Yeah, goodbye." Ruby took her leave, and Roman was left standing by himself, but not completely alone. "The day's over, that was the final interview. We're alone now."

Neo walked out from where she was hiding, in the darkness of the bleachers. She turned to look at Ruby and smiled. Ruby simply continued walking back and forth in front of the tent, talking to herself. "Alright Ruby, calm down, nothing to be worried about, absolutely nothing at all. It's over, it's all over, you can go home and relax as the thought of failure slips your...OH DIDDLY DARN IT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M SAYING!" Ruby ended up screaming into her cupped hands in worry, until Yang patted her on the shoulder. Ruby straightened herself and they both went looking for their father. 

Neo couldn't help but giggle to herself. "She seems cute."

Roman was silent, sitting at the table in the middle of the tent, lost in thought. Neo continued her walk towards Roman, keeping a devilish smile. "She was so kind to hand me the doll, she even taught me the carnival tricks, and now she's even impressed you with those tricks. I cerainly hope her tricks will even be something of worth on the stage, right Roman? Roman?" Neo looked confused as Roman didn't answer. "Hey...Are you, alright?"

Roman straightened himself. He cleared his throat. "Why exactly are we continue to recruit people? We're on the brink of bankrupcy and yet we kept making people's dreams come true. Neo, i just...It seems like a lost cause to me. How's Salem's circus?"

"Not doing any better. I'm not even sure what exactly is the issue anymore. Money, trust, beats me." Roman slowly sunk his head to the table's surface.

"What are we going to do when we have to tell all these people that 'Hey, i know we just hired you like a few days ago, but since we're out of money, you're out of the job!'?" 

Neo pondered. "I'm..." No answer could come out. Roman had a point, and Neo didn't even want to imagine the plan Salem would have for her if sales didn't improve. "Can we take this...this conversation to somewhere more private?"

"Yeah...Let's discuss this at home..."

/////

 _A few hours_ later...

Dinner was finished and the plates were finally put away. Ruby was with Yang discussing how their day went while Tai continued working. 

Ruby was still slightly blushing. "So...I think I regained my crush for him. For...Roman."

Yang almost ended up balling up in laughter. "Seriously?!"

"It's just..."

/////

"Her skills were impressive. I know you were there too, so you saw it as well, but even still, i can't imagine letting such talent off the hook so soon Neo." Roman sunk into his chair as Neo finally landed on a channel on the TV, grabbing some props and pacticing her magic tricks with Roman. "Oh, right! How did your interviews go? I heard that Salem did some with you guys too." 

Neo thought for a moment. "Wasn't much really. Wait, what am i talking about, there was something i found very impressive over there! There was this Contortionist that Cinder interviewed, Tyrian i think his name was. He was like a human pretzel! His skills were incredible!" 

/////

"His encouraging words, his kind and gentle nature, his compassion..."

/////

"I seriously hope he makes it in. His talent could potentionally help out with sales."

Roman smiled as he reached into Neo's bowler hat. "I'm sure it'll be fine." He pulled something out from the hat and began giggling. "Where do you keep finding this stuff?"

Neo giggled. "I heard you like hats. So i put a hat inside a hat so i can look dashing while i look dashing!"

Roman rolled his eyes. "God you're such a dolt."

"Hey!" Neo ended up laughing along with Roman. 

/////

"You just need to relax first and take deep breaths. Assess the situation and understand what you're going through. Soon, hopefully, you're going to work with him, and you'll have plenty of time to hang with him."

"But that's not the only issue! He has a best friend, that's a girl!" 

Yang's face went blank. "OH." 

"And she's mute! I know i sound terrible when i say this, but no offense, but i can't believe a mute girl beat me to his heart! His bright red, burning heart!"

"How very poetic." 

"And to think i got her a Roman doll cause i felt bad..." Ruby fell right into a pillow, muffling herself. "I might even work with Roman, and to think i'm going to be friendzoned so hard..." 

"Hey now Ruby, it's not that bad...Yes, you might get friendzoned, but honestly it's much better than being avoided by the guy..."

/////

Neo smiled. "Don't push yourself too hard, you may work with her, and maybe he'll get the part too, and that's fine. Just take it slow. Money is an issue, so instead of complaining about it, find a solution for it. Complaining isn't going to fix the issue, and besides! You're THE Roman Torchwick..." Roman looked up with a smirk. "Come on, finish it."

Roman rolled his eyes. "I'm the Roman Torchwick, master of the flames." 

Neo was unsure of herself. "Are you sure? Sounded pathetic."

Roman smiled. "I'm the Roman Torchwick, master of the flames." He finished with a bit more emphasis and confidence.

Neo giggled. "Wow, that made me wanna shower you in money alright. Pennies and dimes. Come on! WHO ARE YOU!?"

Roman stood up, confident as ever and dramatic as one can be. "I'm THE Roman Torchwick, MASTER OF THE FLAMES!!" 

"That's my boy!" Neo high-fived Roman, when suddenly his scroll began to ring.

He pulled it out and noticed he received an email from Ozpin. "New recruits...Jaune Arc...Lie Ren...Pyrrha Nikos..." Roman almost dropped his scroll. He saw it coming, but somehow, he wasn't mentally prepared. "Heh, the kid actually made it."

/////

Ruby was super happy to receive the news, and Yang was equally excited. "WE MADE IT IN!!" 

Ruby continued to high five Yang in excitement. "We did it!! I gotta pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming...OUCH! Aha! I'm not dreaming!"

Yang hugged Ruby. "I'm super proud of you!"

Ruby hugged back. "Same to you." The hug lasted for a long time, until another shout of joy rang through the house. Tai kept cheering over and over again, sounds of him tumbling around with Zwei could be heard from downstairs. Ruby rolled her eyes. "Guess he heard the news."

"Should be coming up to congratulate us in three...two...one..."

Right on time, Tai came crashing into their room, high fiving each girl and cheering. "WOOO!! You did it! You two did it!"

Ruby and Yang were caught in a big group hug, Tai crying tears of joy. "I'm so proud of you two! And to think! I made it in too!"

Ruby and Yang were caught off guard. "I'm sorry...What?"

Tai laughed. "Girls! I made it in. I'm your brand new and extra cool beast tamer!"

Ruby and Yang went slack-jawed. "OUR NEW WHAT?!?!" 


	3. Once dream, now reality

_Earlier that day..._

Tai was thrilled. Meeting all the performers, playing all the games, even getting special behind the scenes action with the stars, all because his daughters were trying out. He did enjoy all of it, but he was actually looking for someone, and internally he was impatient. Despite everything, he was on a time crunch, and a tight one on that. He wanted to keep this a surprise for both Ruby and Yang, and he needed to find the one man who could help him out in this endeavor of his. But strangely enough, he was nowhere to be found. No corner, tent, stand, nowhere could the man he searched high and low for could be found on this circus ground. But he kept his smile and spirits up, it would be incredibly rude to suddenly turn to everyone who's been kind to him to tell them that he didn't find what he was looking for and leave. Once Ruby left for her interview, Tai was left alone, and he let out a sigh. "Where could he possibly be?" He asked himself.

"Looking for someone? I could try and help." A man in green came along, holding a soda cup in his hand and a cane in the other. 

Tai turned to the man. "Y-yes! I'm looking for a Mr. Ozpin, there's something that I...Oh...Hi..."

"Looking for me? How come?"

"Well...I just...Ahem, I want to join you guys."

"Odd. Why didn't you just join the crowd of performers and others in line?"

"Well, it's just, Mr. Ozpin sir, I wanted to be a beast tamer for you guys. You see, I work at the zoo, and after hearing that your last beast tamer got laid off due to injuries, I thought I could try out for his place!" Tai felt like he was sweating waterfalls, his legs felt like jelly, and the air felt humid. 

But Ozpin simply laughed. "Well, try-outs are welcomed for that position, Mr.?"

"Tai Xiao Long."

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Xiao Long."

"Pleasure meeting you as well Mr. Ozpin."

"Please follow me. I know a great spot where you could try out." Ozpin led Tai over to a certain part of the circus, secluded from all the bustling and hustling of different people, and instead was filled with lions and monkeys. There was a young woman feeding the lions, who was caught off guard when Ozpin approached. "Mr. Ozpin! What brings you here?"

"A new potential beast tamer, Fiona. I wanted to see if he had the skills to tame one of our many beasts. You don't mind us borrowing one of your lions, do you?"

"Not at all. Susie, that's right, come here." Fiona opened a cage, and Susie the lion came out and began walking towards a podium, to which it sat upon it and Fiona gave it a small snack. "She's all yours."

Ozpin turned to Tai. "All I want you to do is be able to make it move from that podium it's sitting at to the other. She's very friendly, so she has a high chance to listen to your instructions, if you know how to speak to it. But I must warn you, if even a scratch or a speck of harm is to come to her, you may forget your chances of becoming a beast tamer. Taming beasts isn't about being the one in control, but rather showing the animal you can be trusted. We do not support animal cruelty, and I certainly hope your zoo doesn't as well?" 

"Yes, of course! Well, of course they don't. I mean, don't support animal abuse. I mean cruelty, animal cruelty, which we don't support, because it's bad, and animals are...Ahem..." Tai cleared his throat.

"Nervous?"

"Well, such a simple task can become simply difficult when the great Ozpin is judging you, you know?"

"Well, yes, I guess I do know. But do not worry, perform this simple task and I will think about letting you in."

"Yeah, I can do this, I can- Wait...You will think?"

"I can't just let anyone enter my circus; effort must be present."

"So just bringing it to the podium won't be enough?"

"I believe that's for you to decide."

Tai looked at the lion. What Ozpin wanted, not even Tai knew. Heck, he was willing to bet that Ozpin was just playing mind games, he wants him to think that he needs to do more, but in actuality he just needs to bring the lion from point A to point B. Or maybe that's exactly what he wants him to think, to think that he thinks that he needs to do such an overly simplistic task. Or maybe that's just what he wants him to think that he wants him to think that he thinks that what Ozpin wants is to think that he wants him to perform a simplistic task but in actuality he needs to perform something complicated but in actuality he actually needs to think about doing the overly simplistic task in order to do the task and...Tai was extremely close to fainting just at the over thinking he was doing. What to do? How to do it? How could such simple questions make one lose their minds, and he hasn't even stepped into the cage where the lion laid yet and he was already suffering a headache. 

"Alright, here goes nothing...and everything." Tai gulped. How nerve wracking, how shaky he felt just by being near the lion. He has been near lions very often in his life at the zoo, but to be told to actually move the lion, now that's an entirely different story. No, wait he did move lions, he needed to clean their cages, how could he forget?! The stress, the nervous melt down he was having, somehow, he couldn't let go of it. The lion was right there, just move it and...Who's that?

A young woman stood near the edge of where the circus grounds ended. She wore a black coat, with black heels and sunglasses, and she just kept staring at him. Great, now strangers were judging him, just his luck. But something about this random lady, something about her made him...No, he couldn't let this random woman down, she was his audience! A real circus performer would never let an audience down, so he got serious, and he got to work. 

He came up to the lion, who gave him a suspicious stare. The lion has never met this man before, and vice versa. But Tai knelt down and placed one hand out slowly, with his palm facing downwards, and a metal rod in the other hand just in case things got ugly. The lion sniffed his hand, then licked it. The lion moved closer to Tai and sniffed his face, then began walking around him, sniffing every limb and hair. The lion, once finished, came back to the front of Tai and began licking his hand again. Tai slowly stood up and began moving backwards, keeping his downward hand in front, rocking it side to side to keep the attention of the lion. The lion followed, until it reached the podium and sat upon it. Tai then reached for the bucket next to the podium and grabbed a snack, but he took the metal rod he had and held it in front of the lion, to which the lion grabbed onto the rod softly, standing on his podium. Tai then fed the lion the snack, and the lion went back to sitting on his podium. Tai then held out his hand again, and the lion followed. Halfway to the other podium, Tai lifted the metal rod and loudly said "Hup!" and the lion jumped right over it, and quickened it's pace to the podium, sitting patiently as Tai grabbed another snack for it to eat. Tai held out his hand and the lion licked it, then Tai began petting the lion, then he went up to it and hugged it, and the lion hugged back, resulting in a final treat before Tai walked out of the cage. 

"Was...Was that good Mr. Ozpin?"

Ozpin was indeed impressed but kept his smiling demeanor. It was hard to tell if he was secretly disappointed or greatly pleased. "Thank you for your performance, Mr. Xiao Long. I will contact you later today to inform you whether or not your skills were to our standards. Thank you."

"Thank you! Oh! I almost forgot!" Tai quickly reached into his jacket and pulled out a very thin binder with some papers inside. "I got my medical forms filled out and got my check up three days ago. Doc says I’m as healthy as can be!"

Ozpin took the binder and forms. "Oh! Thank you. To be honest I forgot as well! Well, I’ll email you no later than the end of today. Thank you!"

"Thank you for the opportunity Mr. Ozpin!" Ozpin left and Fiona took the lion back to her cage. 

Tai smiled, then began walking around the circus, but deep down he wasn't thinking about his performance, despite wanting to and end up worrying about it for some inexplicable reason, nor was he wondering how Ruby and Yang were doing on their try-outs, despite wanting to and end up worrying about it...again, but he was too intrigued to find the strange woman in black that watched his performance. It was such a strange experience, and he ended up outside the circus and looking all over. He never imagined that she would find him first.

"Nice skills, beast tamer." The woman in black spoke.

"Oh! You're the woman who watched me! I'm not sure what to say but...Thanks?"

The woman was confused. "Thanks? You say that like a question, what do you mean thanks?"

"Well, if it wasn't for you just staring at my awkwardness then I would've been done for, and just your very existence helped me do my performance better and...WOW, that does sounds very weird when I say it out loud doesn't it?"

The woman cleared her throat. "Very, honestly. But I wanted to speak to you, actually."

"Really? Was I really that bad? I'm still worried that Ozpin won't let me in and-"

"You're were quite extraordinary in your taming skills."

"Oh...Well...Ahem! Of course I was! They didn't call me the 'lean, mean, beast taming machine' over at the zoo for nothing."

The woman cringed. "No one called you that, I assume?"

"Yeah no one did."

"I thought so. But I wanted to ask you about your performance. You worked at the zoo, yet I don't recall anyone working with lions learning how to make them stand on podiums, use the metal rods to help the lions stand up on their two hind legs, make them jump over the rod, and I especially don't recall anyone being insane enough to hug the lions, especially after feeding them. So tell me, where did you really learn those skills?"

"Oh, that...I uhh...Improvised."

"You...what?"

"I saw those tricks during some shows at the Ozpin and Salem circus, before they split and parted ways, and I thought 'Hey, I could try and do that' so I just did what those performers did and I improvised."

"But...Performers don't improvise, they train for years!"

"Ah, those improve skills come from years of training! Guess I was always a natural at this stuff."

"NO! There's no improve! None! Zero, Nada, ZILCH!! They train with the animals and grow their bonds with them and perform acts with them! They don't just one day go up to a lion and hug it without it trying to bite their head off!!"

"Oh, well I guess the lion could see my awesomeness and thought 'I would totally hug a cool guy like him', right? Animals think like that, right?"

"WHAT?! How? How could someone be this dense and yet be so...ugh!" The woman facepalmed herself as she self-contemplated as what to do. "A blind squirrel can find an acorn eventually."

"Are you talking to yourself? Don't worry, I also do that sometimes, usually when I’m lonely and need someone to talk to, but I’m usually very understanding of people, especially myself."

"Apparently the squirrel is also paraplegic and deaf!" The woman turned back to Tai. 

"Sorry, was that too much information, cause I can-"

"STOP!" The woman was at her limit. She couldn't believe she was being paid for this, especially during times of bankruptcy, but whatever. Money was money, and the pay was almost worth these five minutes of suffering. "I see that you possess a special talent when it comes to beast taming. However, all talent can be improved upon. There are tips and tricks that Ozpin won't teach you, too dangerous. But danger is what entertainment is all about."

"Wait, you're..."

The woman handed Tai a card, with the Salem circus insignia, location, and phone number. "When you're ready to learn real beast taming, come find us. Any questions?"

Tai proceeded to hand the card back. "No thank you."

"That wasn't a question."

"Oh, sorry."

"Wait, you don't want to join us?"

"Can my answer be no?"

"What? I mean, it can, but-"

"Oh, so then it didn't have to be in the form of a question then. No. Th-thank you, that is. No thank you."

"N-no, you don't understand."

"So it does have to be in the form of a question!"

"If you would let me finish my-"

"Man, this is the weirdest form of Jeopardy I’ve ever played."

"IF YOU WOULD PLEASE BE SILENT AND LET ME FINISH!!" The woman demanded silence, and Tai shut his mouth tight. "Thank you. We at the Salem circus prove that performance needs to be entertaining, dangerous, thrilling, and you would make a perfect fit for it, being up close to the animals and showing off your skills in front of hundreds of fans. So why turn this opportunity down? Why work for Ozpin?" Silence flowed between them. "You may speak now."

"Oh, thank you. I wanted to work for the Ozpin circus because that's where my daughters will be, and I grew up with the dream of performing and doing something far greater than what I’m doing now. Have you ever felt that way? Tired of what you've been doing for years and years to come?"

"Oh goody, he has a speech prepared, yay me."

"I've been stuck in that job for years, making barely above minimum wage and supporting my daughters and their dreams. I honestly got kind of jealous and wanted to achieve my dreams as well. I mean, if they can support their dreams, then what's preventing some old-schooled widowed father like me from changing his life for what he believes to be the better? Joining this circus right here, the one I grew up with, it was once my dream. I abandoned it a long time ago, I got a loving wife, had kids, and then life happened. Next thing you know, your wife passes away, and you're stuck in a nine-to-five job just to care for your kids, and this! This is the chance I get to be someone I once wanted to be, to be someone better than I am now. To be honest, I might sound crazy, but if Summer were here right now, right next to me, I’d bet a solid 20 lien that she would support me in every step I’m taking. What my family needs is a fresh start, and this is our fresh start." Tai handed the card back. "Sorry, but this is where I belong."

The woman took the card back and sighed, handing it back to Tai. "Keep it. If life ever catches you by surprise again, at least you'll have us to catch your fall."

"Aw, geez, thanks, umm..."

"Cinder. But don't tell anyone."

Tai was surprised. "Promise. But...you left for the Salem circus?! Everyone thought you retired after your injury with the lions! When they bit your arm and almost chewed it off!"

"A foolish mistake on my part. But I got myself a better life with the Salem circus. I have places to be and stuff to do, I believe you have the same?"

"Oh, yeah, right!" Tai waved at Cinder as she left. 

"Hmph..." Cinder continued walking until her scroll beeped. She pulled it out to find a text message from one of her co-workers. "So...Any other bright ideas?"

Cinder got a little angry and began typing back. "He's merely a set-back. We don't need him anyways, but trust me, once we make our appearance, Ozpin will be out of business and we'll be racking in the dough."

/////

Cinder smiled. She was right, they didn't need the old chump anyways. They were the best of the best, and with their new try-outs, their circus was the prime example of entertainment, a grand splendor of excitement and thrill compared to the childish and boring atmosphere of whatever Ozpin thought was 'entertaining'. Cinder walked into the big top, the last of the try-outs leaving for their interview. She walked until she met a familiar face. 

"Cinder." A young woman in black smiled as she walked towards Cinder.

"Salem. He was incredible with his skills at beast taming, like you said. But his desires with sticking with that Ozpin are far too great."

"What a shame! It's almost as if he has something we all have: An opinion." A strange voice joked from a short distance. "If only someone had warned you of such a thing. Oh wait, that's right, I warned you."

Salem placed a hand outwards. "It was still worth a try Mr. Watts. Are our lights and technology ready for tonight's show?"

"As per always."

"Good. However, what other progress have you made with anyone else at that circus."

Cinder shook her head. "Everyone seemed keen on joining Ozpin's side."

Watts pondered the foolishness of his teammates. "Then again, it was a try-out specifically for Ozpin's circus. Seriously, I think we're approaching this in the most extremely wrong angles. Why don't we just hang up posters and advertisements like normal people do?"

Salem laughed. "And what do you think we've been using our printer for this entire time?"

"Oh." Watts now understood.

"Cinder." Salem turned to face her. "Scouting for new recruits is now done for today, please go and prepare for tonight's show."

"Understood." Cinder left to her personal quarters and grabbed some chain and a hula-dancing stick and walked outside. She lit the chain and began her performance practice, spinning the chain and tossing it into the air and catching it's rubber handle as the flames from the chain danced all around her, the warmth burning with passion and the fires flowing in the breeze as it was tossed and flung around by Cinder in a fire-dancing form. Then she whipped the chain around and faced a grey performer in gymnastic clothes. 

"Heard you failed with the old man."

"Shut up." 

"Just speaking truth."

"Maybe I’d respect your truth, if you would kindly leave me alone Mercury."

"Leave you alone?" Mercury went up to a nearby chair and did a handstand on it, practicing for his performance. "But I barely got here."

"Then it should be a quick goodbye, followed by peace and quiet."

"What happened between us Cinder? We used to be great friends."

"The sarcasm in your voice is ever so annoying, and you know that."

"Yeah I do."

"Why are you here?"

"Just wanted to know when we’re leaving for Ozpin. We can't just say coming soon every single day, it has to come soon."

"The date is-"

"Still unknown? Am I right?"

"If you already knew the answer, then why bother asking it?"

"Not sure. Why bother collecting new recruits when we've been making bank with just the few of us?"

"Because Salem wants to. Now, if you have nothing left, leave."

Mercury looked at the hula-dancing sticks, then at Cinder still wielding the burning chain. He loved teasing his fellow performers, but he wasn't stupid. "As you wish." 

Mercury left, and Cinder continued to practice her skills. "Cinder?"

"Emerald?" Cinder turned to face the green girl standing behind her.

"I uhh...thought of a cool trick to show to the audience in our next show, and I wanted to show you!"

"How sweet. But later, Emerald, I’m busy."

Emerald lowered her head. "How much later?"

"You can show me after the show."

"Ok..." Emerald walked away, back into Cinder's tent, placing her knives down onto the table next to her. "That's...what you said last time...huh?" Emerald noticed Cinder's scroll ringing.

Cinder continued her skills, and she tossed the chain in the air, and was about to catch it. "Cinder?" 

It caught her off guard, and she dodged the chain quickly in her sudden surprise. The chain hit the ground, it's flames dying as sand surrounded it, and Cinder turned with an equally fiery anger. "WHAT?"

Emerald gulped. "I-I-its's your scroll...someone wants to talk to you."

Someone? That beast tamer from before, it must be him. He must finally be interested in joining, maybe it wasn't a lost cause. She took the scroll from Emerald's hand and answered the call. "Yes?"

"This is Cinder, right?" Yep, that beast tamer used the phone number on the card. 

"Yes, you're the beast tamer from before, correct?"

"Oh, yeah! Name's Tai by the way, just wanted to see if this phone number worked. How's your day going?"

"I'm glad you decided to call to join our-wait what?"

"How's your day going?"

"You realize this number is meant for important business only right?"

"Yes? Is this a bad time?"

"Call this number only when you think about joining the circus."

"But I am, I already applied."

"The Salem circus, not Ozpin's."

"Oh...Ok now I’m thinking about joining. Will you tell me about your day now?"

"What? No, I-Just...YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"

"I feel like you're intentionally dodging the question."

"Do me a favor and delete this number." Cinder hung up on Tai. She went and placed the scroll back down on the table inside her tent and sighed. "And to think he's taking my spot as a beast tamer for Ozpin. Wait...Ozpin is taking that fool as a beast tamer..." Cinder began to laugh. What a fool Ozpin is to take such an idiot as a beast tamer, and if he's smart enough and rejects Tai, then he'll simply come crawling towards her for the position! Oh what a fool! What an idiotic nutjob, one that she would either be dealing with for the rest of her career, or one that she would have to watch when Salem's plan finally comes into fruition. There was, in no mathematical way, any possible escape from this fool, she dug herself her own grave by giving him her number. She gave a glance at her scroll, dreadfully sitting there as she expected a well-timed call from Tai. "I really shouldn't...It's expensive, but I could always buy another. But I don't have any money to buy another scroll." Cinder facepalmed herself and groaned. "Where the hell did I go wrong in my life to be stuck with so many idiots?" 


End file.
